


Hero

by orangefriday



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 08:56:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16658065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orangefriday/pseuds/orangefriday
Summary: Levi Schmitt is a zero. He's been told so many times.





	Hero

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr at [glassesandkim](http://www.glassesandkim.tumblr.com)

Everything made sense now. 

The awkward encounters.

_“That was your mom’s house?”_

 The failures that happened over and over again.

_“You’re a zero that dropped a foreign object in the surgical field of a seven year old. You’re only here because Dr. Wilson handled your screw up and covered your ass. Got it?!”_

The _uneasiness_. 

_“Yeah,”_ he had agreed instantly, _“I-I’m a zero.”_  
  
And he believed it.

He believed it every time he was called Glasses. He would race against this belief and lose every time he ran a code. He still believed it even when he had tried his damn hardest, succeeded, and heard the reassuring beep of a steady heart beat.

_“Why the hell would you apologize?”_

Because, “ _I’m a zero.”_

Levi’s in disbelief when Nico buys him a drink. He can’t understand why Nico, a guy that seemingly has it all — surgical fellowship, looks, and stellar confidence — would sympathize with him. After all, he’s nothing. Just a sub-intern on the B-team. 

Levi believes it when he’s put on ortho for the first time. His palms are sweaty and he walks too fast when he sees Link. He hopes to god he doesn’t drop anything in front of Nico again. There are too many hammers and rods in ortho and not enough toes for Levi to walk steady if they’re all broken.

“What’s up?” Nico asks, too trusting that there’s _nothing_ up or nothing _wrong_ with Levi. 

He knows he’s a screw up and Levi’s honest to a fault so he says rightly so, “I’ve just… never done ortho.” He’s afraid he’ll mess up. 

Levi expects anything but Nico’s offer, “I’ll show you.” 

And it’s great. Nico takes his time to teach him. He smiles when Levi answers Link’s questions. And Levi doesn’t screw up, or mess up, or fail. 

He doesn’t need to apologize. 

When Nico kisses him, he’s _amazed_. It’s like the doors opened for him and everything was settling in place. Nico’s lips are soft, but he’s firm with his kisses and _so strong._ Levi’s heart fights with the ribs in his chest and his head swims in hot delight. 

He’s wanting _more_ even before Nico pulls away, turns around and straightens his back. Levi can’t find his breath but he’s found _something terrific._ Something he’s never thought of but which made _perfect_ sense. 

Why hadn’t he known before? 

So when Nico walks away with only a sorry and little to no explanation, Levi believes again. 

He’s just a zero.

Even if he solves all the puzzles in his life, connects all the pieces, and is able to actually  _feel_ existence, he's  _still_ just a zero. 

He’s awake in bed, staring at the ceiling and wishing he lived alone so he could just scream. Levi wonders why good things happen to him but they always just slip through his fingertips, never really able to grasp completely his successes.

“ _Of course, no one would know, to see you creeping in here like a sick mouse.”_

He shouldn’t be doing this. All of this. _None of this_.

He’s _not_ a sick mouse or a zero.

“ _You’re a damn hero_. _”_

He’s a hero when he tells Nico off. He doesn’t give a crap about Nico’s apology or his issues with Levi never having kissed a boy before. He’s a nerd, lives at home, he's incredibly weird but _smart_ , and he’s _gay_.

He wants to shout that out into the storm, let it blow up and rise up into the atmosphere. He’s not ashamed. He’s amazed, relieved, proud, and _happy_. 

He’s being a hero again when he braves the winds to save Nico and brings them to safety. He’s a fighting hero when he tells Nico that it’s _his fault_ and not Levi’s. He’s a triumphant hero when he kisses Nico again.  

The earth shakes (or maybe it’s the raging storm outside).

“Thanks,” Nico whispers, his lips grazing Levi’s. The steel floor of the ambulance is cold beneath their bare bodies but Nico’s breath is hot and it runs tantalizingly sweet down Levi’s spine.  

Levi blinks, wide eyed and breath heavy. “For what?”

Nico smiles and Levi’s dizzy with want. A hot heat rises up in the back of his throat but Nico catches it with his mouth, kissing him until Levi lets out a shaking gasp.

“For saving me,” Nico finally answers when he pulls away. He touches Levi’s cheek gently, thumb slowly feeling the bone under his blushed skin. Nico’s eyes are bright and deep with something like admiration. There’s a teasing hint in Nico’s smile. “You’re my hero.”

And Levi believes that.


End file.
